Gross Goods and Services Tax (GST) collections rose 14.8% year-on-year (YoY) to ?1.99 lakh crore in August 2026, according to data released on September 1.
GST revenue from domestic transactions rose 9.3% to ?1.37 lakh crore, while revenue from imports jumped 29% to ?62,604 crore during the month.
The Central GST (CGST) collection stood at ?38,413 crore, while State GST (SGST) collections were ?46,316 crore. Integrated GST (IGST) collections stood at over ?1.15 lakh crore.
GST refunds rose 68% to ?31,795 crore in August.
Vivek Jalan, Partner at Tax Connect Advisory Services LLP, said the sharp rise in domestic refunds was driven by inverted duty structures.
After accounting for refunds, net GST revenue stood at ?1.68 lakh crore, up 8.3% YoY.
Jalan said GST collections in August reflected continued strength in domestic consumption, while the August 31 statutory time-barring deadline also supported compliance and revenue inflows.
On a year-to-date basis, net GST revenue growth during April-August 2026 is around 9%, Jalan said, noting that GST buoyancy remains below one at around 0.7.
The August collection was higher than the ?1.74 lakh crore gross GST revenue recorded in July.
Commenting on the data, Abhishek Jain, Partner and National Head, Indirect Tax at KPMG in India, said the 14.8% growth in overall GST collections adds to the positive economic backdrop following 7.8% GDP growth in the first quarter.
“This collectively shows the robustness of the Indian economy despite geo-political conflicts and global economic uncertainty,” Jain said.
“This collectively shows the robustness of the Indian economy despite geo-political conflicts and global economic uncertainty,” Jain said.
The latest figures mark the third consecutive month in which gross GST collections have remained around the ?2 lakh crore level, according to Ikesh Nagpal, Lead-Indirect Tax at AKM Global.
“August's gross GST collections stood at ?1.99 lakh crore, reflecting continued revenue buoyancy through the first five months of FY27,” Nagpal said. He added that the sharp rise in import revenue, accounted for around 55% of the incremental gross collections during the month.
Pratik Jain, Partner at Price Waterhouse & Co LLP, said the double-digit year-to-date growth in GST collections is encouraging despite the rate cuts in September 2025, while monthly growth of around 15% remains strong, led partly by imports.
Manoj Mishra, Partner and Tax Controversy Management Leader at Grant Thornton Bharat, said the near-?2 lakh crore gross collection corroborates the better-than-expected 7.8% GDP growth in Q1 FY27, pointing to resilient economic activity despite global uncertainties.
Karthik Mani, Partner and Leader-Indirect Tax, South at BDO India, said the rise in import-linked GST revenue significantly outpaced the 9.3% growth in domestic collections, highlighting the stronger contribution from imports even as domestic demand remained resilient.
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